What Lies Beyond the Horizon
by Laetus Nix
Summary: FF3. Takes place prior to the events of the main story. "Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the horizon?" To teach the stoic knight to think beyond the black and white is only the beginning. A simple game of chess can allude to so much. Ingus. Sara.


Spoilers for those who haven't played FF III. Ingus. Sara. IngusxSara if you squint.

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><p>"Have you ever wondered about what lies beyond the horizon, Ingus?"<p>

Pausing at the sudden question, the knight glanced upwards briefly at the princess, uncharacteristically sprawled in a precarious position upon her bed, quietly appraising him, before returning to the present project. "I'm afraid I don't understand," he murmured placidly, continuing to contemplate the game before them as if nothing had been exchanged between the two. "There is simply nothing beyond our world... certainly nothing of mention, at the very least."

"You are contradicting me, Ingus," Princess Sara said crossly, and Ingus automatically became silent, bowing his head demurely. "Say there was, though. Perhaps beyond the horizon, a boundless ocean of sorts..." Here, he became vaguely aware that Sara was gesturing dreamily, spreading her arms wide in an enigmatic motion and nearly upending the entire board. "So vastly eternal, so grandiose that time stops still for the waters to flow..."

A moderate silence, in which the noble princess hummed happily to herself, still blissfully oblivious to the other's skeptical gaze. Resigning to a sigh, he pushed a rook forwards with a minor _click_, and, still staying his eyes downwards, Ingus said carefully, "Do forgive me, m'lady... but it would simply be impossible for time to yield to but mere waters, no matter how vast it may be. You've quite an overactive imagination to even consider something like this." He laughed tartly to a wavering lull before, too, lapsing into silence.

T'was a fragile moment as Princess Sara straightened up, a look of bitter disdain darkening her eyes. Ingus remained perfectly still, as a rabbit caught within the line of sight of a falcon, his eyes tracing the princess's every movement with apt apprehension. "Certainly, my 'overactive imagination' makes up for your dismal _lack_of it," she said coolly, leaning forth to sweep the players clear off the chessboard. "For _once_, Ingus, think beyond your boundaries and explore your surroundings! It is but a rhetorical question, one with no correct answer – yet, you still managed to have _failed_." With a scoff and a light toss of the head, she turned her attention to poke testily at a knight that she'd snatched from Ingus's side. "You think of yourself to be a grand knight, but if you remain that narrow mindset of yours, a mere _pawn_ you shall be, and nothing more."

"I..."

Again, the knight lapsed into silence save for the petulant clicking of Sara furiously trying to drown the other out with her exaggerated show of work. Highly bemused, torn between feelings of flattery and frustration, Ingus anxiously searched the princess's expression for a faltering hint of forgiveness, for acknowledgment; but Sara continued to scowl at the chess pieces, pointedly avoiding his attempts at reconciliation.

Perhaps she was right, though. As was the easiest way to appease one's superiors, Ingus had always been quick to comply with orders, despite how it may have conflicted with his own feelings, thrown his way. Such had pleased his superiors, the commanders of Castle Sasune, encouraged the child to brush aside his views for recognition and acceptance amongst a group with whom he shared no relations with; though, of course, he had never been truly satisfied by this. But it was the correct way to go, was it not? To plow forth ruthlessly, to satisfy what is expected of him – a mere _pawn_, perhaps, but does not a grand reward await the lowly servant in the end? Does no one remember the pawn, one who prevails despite thick and thin, who reaches the enemy's domain to recover what is most valued...?

A mere _pawn_ he was, whose name did not even matter, even if he was to bring back the noble queen, if he were to remain in such a position. Even whilst nursing his bruised pride in attempting to please his superiors, Ingus did not agree so easily, despite what his mind told him, what his heart had attempted to hide away, and the compilation of all of his hard work in locking things away, this princess had so easily elicited it from him with but sharp quips and humorous antics...

Here, he began collecting the chess pieces and rearranging them back on the board. He could feel Sara's acidic glare lured back towards, but he, too, focused coyly and solely upon the re-composition of their lighthearted game. "Beyond the horizon, a boundless ocean of sorts," he said gently, lifting a queen up to eye level so as to catch a brilliant shaft of light before placing it on its spot, "so vastly eternal, so grandiose that time stops still for the water to flow..."

Having assembled Princess Sara's side of the game, he began to sort out his players from the jumbled mess that had resulted in her bout of temperament. He could sense the other relaxing, seeing as the atmosphere before them lightened significantly, could feel the princess's gaze soften prior to turning away. "From the depths of thus boundless ocean rises a great pillar, one constructed of shimmering crystal," he continued mildly, lifting his hand to reclaim the knight that Sara had taken: she dropped it wordlessly in the center of his palm, still staring off in an obscure corner so as to avoid the other's eye. "It is the final resting place of the creators of our world, the beginning, perhaps... and not far off, a cave which harbours the very energy that supplies the gods and the crystals and their power."

He lifted his head to regard Sara with a solemn smile, gesturing for the princess to make her move. "And anchored at the shore is, perhaps, a lonely abandoned ship," he said quietly, inclining his head at the thought of such a thing. "An abandoned ship, in which a maiden sleeps forevermore, waiting, always waiting for the destined being to approach..."

"Will the destined being ever approach her?" Sara interjected humorously, nudging forth her character and turning an anxious chin up at Ingus in accusing fascination. "She will awaken eventually, won't she? Unless you've the affinity for tragic endings as this..."

"But of course she would awaken, m'lady," Ingus nodded amiably, too making his move with all but reckless abandon. "She will awaken to the touch of comfort, a healing touch... perhaps a kiss to the lips?"

"A kiss," agreed Sara dreamily, "but from whom?"

"Why, none other than myself, of course," Ingus proclaimed, tilting his head back to laugh at Sara's stricken expression. "But I merely jest, dear princess," he chuckled, taking her hand and, bowing his head, touching his lips to it in an act of fealty. "I would never think to leave your side."

Sara's expression flickered but briefly, taking her hand from Ingus's grasp so as to move a knight forth, murmuring, "_Check_." Then, hesitantly, she ran her fingers through his light tresses, as if tempting the other to revoke his declaration. "Not even if you are destined to save the world from the powers of darkness?" she teased airily, tracing an abstract design into his skin. "You will keep your word, Ingus, and never leave my side?"

He hesitated. Princess Sara's shrewd eyes followed his trembling hand as he, too, made his move. "Never," he said at last, smiling up his princess, "will I even consider the notion of leaving you, m'lady. It is simply impossible. I will always remain beside you..."

Laughing her shimmering laugh, Sara drew her hand from atop Ingus's head and alighted her knight forward, lightly knocking his king from the chessboard.

"_Checkmate_."


End file.
